Doug Bradley
30
Oct
2019
Scare-A-Con (2019 Review)- House Of Tortured Souls
On Sunday October 20th I took an hour drive to Rochester, NY with my friend and 6 year old niece to our first Scare-A-Con experience. I have attended many cons in various states, however this was my first time attending one closer to home and my first time attending Scare-A-Con.
Let me start off by saying how simple it was getting there and finding parking. There was no hassle or confusion. Upon arriving, the staff was very friendly with showing us where we had to go to get checked in, there was no confusion in finding anything—- there were schedules on the walls which showed where each panel was to be held at their scheduled times. There were 2 big rooms, one with the vendors and one with the celebrity guests. It was nice and organized.
Upon arriving, we walked around the room where all celebrity guests would be, and I stumbled upon the lovely Loren Molloy. She’s a super woman who does it all— actor, producer, director and author. Currently worked on the upcoming movie Yield. She has such a radiant personality and was very generous in signing one her children’s books for my niece.
We then made our way over to the one and only Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp). It’s always pleasure seeing her at cons. She gained a small fan that day, my niece who charmed her way into sitting with Felissa at her table.
Also had the pleasure of meeting Barbara Crampton (Re–Animator, Puppet Master) and Jonathan Tiersten (Sleepaway Camp). The kindness that they showed their fans is unbelievable, even making it such a pleasant experience for all but mainly how they took on to my niece. I know it’s a day that she will never forget.
Even though it was small and wasn’t a huge turnout on Sunday, everything was well planned and organized and the celebrity line up was pretty good. I will definitely find myself at another Scare-A-Con in the future.
22
Jun
2019
Monster Interviews: Nicholas Vince – Pride Month
- DS: When did you realize you wanted to be an actor and entertainer? What engaged your interest and led you down the path of your esteemed career?
- NV: Very early on. I took part in plays when I was at primary school. When I was 11 my English teacher, invited me to join the local amateur drama society, who were putting on evening excerpts from the books of Charles Dickens. I played all the small boys, such as Pip from Great Expectations.
- I think what engaged my interest, was that I could use my imagination and, like all kids, I just enjoyed playing at make-believe.
- DS: How did you become involved in the independent horror film industry? What initially drew you to horror and what’s caused you to stay?
- NV: The first books I read from our local library when I was seven or eight years old, were the Greeks myths, which involved gods and monsters. After that, I graduated to ghost stories. Then in my mid-teens, I watched the Universal horror movies, late at night on the television. I loved the fact that except for Dracula, the “monsters,” were the good guys. Frankenstein’s Creature was a victim who was only looking for love.
- My first independent film was, of course, Hellraiser. I got involved with that because I’d known Clive Barker for around three years and he asked me. More recently, I have met independent filmmakers at film conventions, such as London’s FrightFest, and they invited me to be part of their projects.
- DS: You’ve garnered many fandoms from your portrayal as the Chattering Cenobite in Clive Barker’s 1987 film, Hellraiser. What’s it like being the Chatterer and working with Clive and Doug? Do you enjoy the recognition that comes with that role, or is it a bit much at times?
- NV: It was a problematic costume and made up to work in because it was so restrictive. I couldn’t hear speak or see; which dictated the stillness of performance. Initially, Clive and I had discussed the idea that I’d be leaping around the set, like a chattering monkey. However, the design of the makeup and costume were so durable that I didn’t need to do much to make the Chatterer terrifying.
- Working with Clive and Doug, and the rest of the casting crew, was a massive amount of the fun. I laughed so much in the green room; the sound engineer threatened to do me harm as my laughter could be heard on set and was ruining takes.
- DS: What are your thoughts on the news of the Hellraiser reboot, which was once rumored to be done by Clive Barker, but is now said to be in the hands of writer and producer Steven S. Goyer?
- NV: I think that the most critical element is that Clive Barker should be involved. Along with Doug as Pinhead. Clive created a vast world which many writers and artists, outside the films, have contributed new stories. I’m thinking of the Hellraiser comics and the collection of short stories Hellbound Hearts, edited by Paul Kane and Marie O’Regan. So, I believe there is a vast scope for Mr. Goyer to do something incredible and exciting, mainly if Clive Barker is at the heart of it.
- DS: Genre fans might not know this, but you acted in only three horror films from 87′ to 90‘, before a twenty-year hiatus. You’ve only recently resurfaced over the last decade. What’s the reason behind your current resurgence?
- NV: After we made Nightbreed, I decided to give up acting and concentrate on writing comics. As well as contributing stories to the Hellraiser and Nightbreed comics, I also wrote weekly and monthly comics for Marvel UK. Then three of those projects were canceled within a month of each other, and I found myself having to earn a living, and I ended up working in computers. Also, then, in 2012, I had a chance to leave that and return to writing and acting.
- DS: As we celebrate Pride month in the States, what does it mean to you, and how important is it to have the LBGT community represented in the horror genre?
- NV: As a gay man, I think it’s hugely important. It’s great to see so many LGBT characters represented in modern horror films and TV series; not just as “the pansy” who gets killed in the first reel’ or the ‘trans homicidal maniac.‘ Another favorite movie of mine is Hellbent (dir. Paul Etheredge), which is a stalk and slash film set in West Hollywood at Halloween.
- Over the years, many people from the community have mentioned to me they found comfort in the film Nightbreed. Many of us were made to feel we were monstrous as we were LGBT, and Nightbreed is a film which celebrates the monsters and shows the real villains are the ‘normal’ people.
- DS: Being your career has spanned nearly four decades, do you still find and take pleasure in the art, and what have you found most fulfilling about acting?
- NV: I do still enjoy acting, as it’s always different. In the last year, I’ve played a father, a guy at a gym, a bartender and a “monster without makeup” – to quote the director when he offered me the part. What do I find most fulfilling? I like how acting is really about studying humanity. It’s about walking in another person’s shoes. Also, that, I think, helps broaden my understanding of other people. That’s one of the reasons why I think it’s always good for children to have drama lessons. Not only can the experiences help increase confidence, but they can also teach them to think of another person’s viewpoint.
- DS: You wear a ton of hats such as Actor, Writer, Producer, Director, Author, and more. Which is your personal favorite, and which do you find most gratifying and rewarding?
- NV: I wish, at times, that I did have a favorite as it would make life an awful lot more manageable. Moreover, later this year, the plan is to add Artist more fully to that list. However, the truth is, I enjoy all of them when they’re going well, and I wish I were doing one of the others when I’m struggling with something.
- DS: Do you have any special upcoming projects that you’d like to let your followers know? Any future content that you’d like to share with your fans?
- NV: I’m working on a couple of things which I’ll be able to talk about later this year.In the meantime, the feature film, Book of Monsters (dir. Stewart Sparke), in which I play the heroine’s father, was recently released by Epic Pictures and I feature in a few other films due to be hitting festivals or release later this year, For We Are Many (Hex Studios), Borley Rectory (dir. Ashley Thorpe), Heckle (dir. Martyn Pick), The Offer (dir. Chris Griffiths and Gary Smart) which is available on Amazon Prime and Fuck You Immortality (Federico Scargiali) and a couple more currently in production.
- DS: Where can people follow you and stay up to date with what you’re doing? Are there any social media platforms you’re on more regularly than others?
- NV: I’m most often on Facebook and Twitter but the most accessible way to track projects I’m working on, watch my short films and where I’ll be making appearances is on my website, nicholasvince.com, where people can also check out my store.
- DS: As a formality, we have a final question we like to ask all of our guests. If you could pick one and only one, which would you say is your all-time favorite horror film?
- NV: That has to be ‘The Masque of the Red Death,’ based on a couple of Edgar Allen Poe stories. It starred Vincent Price and was directed by Roger Corman. It’s a weird film with some great set pieces and asks some important moral questions about the role of God in the world’s suffering.
01
Oct
2018
HELLABRATION DELUXE! Thirty-One Days of SHOCKTOBER: Intro And Day One – 10/01/18
As long as there have been movies, and as long as there have been Halloweens, Hollywood and the independent denizens who scrape and scrounge outside of the system, have been more than happy to exploit the holiday, by presenting crowd-pleasing, creepy creations of the killing kind. The offerings have been as diverse and diabolical as anything the human mind has been capable of whipping up, and for this particular occasion, HOUSE OF TORTURED SOULS – and Yours Cruelly – have devised a diversion of devilish delights just for you, dear readers!
Starting today, and for the days to come, we dug back into the dusty archives, going back THIRTY-ONE YEARS, and will be presenting to you, reviews of films that served as “fright fulfillment” for the spookiest night of each.
Hopefully, no one’s going to feel insulted or that I’m being condescending, but I’m going to talk about each one of these as if none of you readers have ever seen or heard of these before and at thirty-one years and counting, believe it – there are quite a few of you who have not.
I’ve relied on IMDb.com for the suggestions here, but I made each selection in terms of what film I found meant THE MOST to me for that year. That will make it easier, even though some time periods made it a lot harder to choose than others!
10/01 – 1987: HELLRAISER
In a year that was literally ‘an embarrassment of riches’ for die-hard horror fans, which saw the release of EVIL DEAD 2, THE LOST BOYS, THE HIDDEN, ANGEL HEART, NEAR DARK and PREDATOR, choosing the best film would seem like a daunting and impossible task. Filmmakers were transcending boundaries, going deeper into imaginative scenarios. There seemed to be no limit to what could be done to refresh what audiences recognized as the “tried-and-true” stories that were quickly 
becoming established horror tropes, but it was writer/actor/artist/poet CLIVE BARKER, who struck out to give fans something totally new: a vision of horror not seen before in any previous effort. But HELLRAISER would certainly become highly influential for many, many years to come.
So here’s the skinny on HELLRAISER in a nutshell…think of it as a more arty, intimate version of THE GATES OF HELL, THE DEVIL’S RAIN or THE BEYOND. Based on the Barker novella, “The Hellbound Heart,” it’s the heart-freezing story of the Cotton family: stepmonster Julia (CLARE HIGGINS), husband Larry
(ANDREW ROBINSON) and daughter Kirsty (ASHLEY LAURENCE) and the house they’ve just moved into.
Nobody knows that Julia was seeing Larry’s brother, Frank (SEAN CHAPMAN) on the side, but that would be the least of their worries even if they did know. Frank was into some pretty intense, weird occult shit, which included a certain ornate Chinese puzzle box, that once solved, opens the doors to Hell and summons a group of demonic entities known as the Cenobites – devotees of a brand of eternal torture and suffering undreamt of by mortal men…well, most of them.
In any case, Frank didn’t just solve the damn thing, but he did it in this very house. 
And now, having suffered a fate worse than death, he’s looking for a way – any way – to escape.
Enter Julia. She loves (well, actually more lusts after) the disappeared Frank as much as she loathes mealy-mouthed Larry, but that’s not the point. The point would be that there’s not a lot that she wouldn’t
do to have her lover back, as she discovers when a drop of blood on the floor of the room where Frank was taken, begins to bring him back to earthly life (and the special effects are something you’ve got to see to believe, courtesy of a crack English FX team,
lead by legends BOB KEEN and GEOFF PORTASS).
Things begin to get really complicated, when Kirsty stumbles over what they’re up to, and she decides to strike her own deal with the satanic emissaries, to stop Julia and hopefully save her father. 
The rest of the movie is devoted to revealing whether or not she’s successful. Not saying this is a spoiler, people, but there are about a half-dozen HELLRAISER sequels now at the very least, so you can pretty much figure out the answer to that one.
Up to that time, no one had seen anything like HELLRAISER, and it would raise the bar for so many horror films to come, not just in the occult sub-category of horror, but horror in general. Barker really let his art school roots show with this one, as the creature designs, the amazing, atmospheric photography by ROBIN VIDGEON, and CHRISTOPHER YOUNG’S dark, chilling score combined to complete a vision that could only belong to him, and was introduced by the cult favorite “Books Of Blood” (also destined to provide some other film adaptations, none of them as much of a hallmark as this.)
The unforgettable roles portrayed by acting vets Robinson, Higgins and Chapman and the then-‘unknown’ Laurence made a lasting impression upon the young minds of blossoming horror fans and seasoned horrorphiles alike, but it was DOUG BRADLEY, BARBIE WILDE, NICHOLAS BURMAN-VINCE and SIMON BAMFORD, once relative unknowns to mainstream moviegoing audiences, who all became household names as the “angels to some, demons to others”, the S&M-by-way-of-Bosch infused Cenobites – a mouth-watering future challenge to cosplayers everywhere.
24
Jun
2018
SyFy Announces Clive Barker’s Nightbreed TV Series
Nicholas Burman-Vince as Kinski in Nightbreed (1990)
Cabal, Clive Barker’s 1988 novella about a man’s struggle with self-demons and ultimate attempt to find the mythical(?) sanctuary city of Midian, is being brought to TV by SyFy, Morgan Creek Entertainment (Nightbreed (1990) directed by David Cronenberg), Universal Cable Prods, and writer Josh Stolberg,
SyFy’s Nightbreed will explore race relations in the US using the human-monster dichotomy displayed throughout the novella. The story will follow a group of subterranean monster-humans forced to find another place to live after their home is destroyed.
Doug Bradley as Dirk Lylesbergi in Nightbreed (1990)
Before I continue, I want to talk a bit about the movie Nightbreed, which gets some criticism, but should it? For me, I had a difficult time relating to the protagonist because of the casting choice and likewise his girlfriend. However, every other performance blew me away. I have mixed feelings. It’s nothing against either of the actors; they just didn’t click with me. Watch and decide for yourself.
Horror TV series are popular right now, The Walking Dead is still going in spite of the departure of Andrew Lincoln, Ash vs Evil Dead was doing well but not well enough for Starz, I (okay, borderline horror for the younger set) seems popular, Supernatural still pushing it on Netflix, and scores more. But, people are dropping cable packages to watch online. What does this say for the possibility of a win with this one?
Simon Bamford as Ohnaka with friend in Nightbreed (1990)
From to the names attached, we can be cautiously hopeful. David Robinson, President of Morgan Creek Entertainment Group, seems quite optimistic:
There has never been a more relevant time for us to turn to one of the genre’s great cult classics from our movie library to impact the national conversation with bold, compelling and unconventional storytelling. The team at Morgan Creek is very excited to partner with Clive Barker, Syfy and Universal Cable Productions on Nightbreed for a unique, trenchant and no-holds-barred exploration of race relations in today’s society. As a sophisticated twist on the classic graphic novel form, Nightbreed pits ‘Humans’ against persecuted monsters, using metaphor and parable to take on bias and prejudice with real-world consequences.
Maybe we can be a little more than cautiously optimistic. Star Trek managed to address these issues with a great deal of success.
David Cronenberg as Dr. Philip K. Decker in Nightbreed (1990)
Keep your claws crossed. I am.
13
Sep
2016
HISTORY OF HORROR: SEPTEMBER
By Woofer McWooferson
Join House of Tortured Souls as we celebrate significant dates in the history of horror in September. Click on thumbnails for full images.
September 1 - 7
09/01/1939 – The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) released
theatrically
theatrically
09/02/1923 – The Hunchback of Notre Dame released
theatrically
theatrically
09/02/1978 – Dawn of the Dead released
theatrically
theatrically
09/05/1942 – Werner Herzog (director of Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht) born
09/06/1879 – Max Schreck (actor who portrayed Count Orlok in Nosferatu) born
09/06/1925 – The Phantom of the Opera (1925) released theatrically
09/07/1940 – Dario Argento (director, producer, and screenwriter of Suspira and other horror films) born
09/07/1954 – Doug Bradley (best known as Pinhead in the Hellraiser film series) born
09/07/2004 – Silent Hill 4: The Room released on the PlayStation, Xbox, and PC in North America
September 8 - 14
09/08/1990 – Bride of Re-Animator released theatrically
09/09/1954 – Jeffrey Combs (actor in many horror films) born
09/09/1997 – Cube released theatrically
09/09/2004 – Resident Evil Outbreak File #2 released for the PlayStation 2 in Japan
09/09/2005 – The Exorcism of Emily Rose released theatrically
09/10/1993 – The X-Files premieres on television
09/10/2004 – Resident Evil: Apocalypse released theatrically
09/11/1987 – Hellraiser released theatrically
09/11/1992 – Candyman released theatrically
09/12/1958 – The Blob (1958) released theatrically
09/12/1992 – Anthony Perkins (actor who portrayed Norman Bates in the Psycho films) dies (b. 1932)
09/13/1913 – Paul Wegener (director of The Golem: How He Came Into the World) dies (b. 1874)
09/13/1991 – Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare released theatrically
09/13/2005 – Supernatural premieres on television
09/14/1960 – The Little Shop of Horrors (1960) released theatrically
September 15 - 21
09/15/1974 – The Ghost Galleon released theatrically
09/16/1963 – The Outer Limits premiered on television
09/16/2002 – Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance released on the Game Boy Advance in the US
09/16/2005 – Cry_Wolf released theatrically
09/17/2004 – Silent Hill 4: The Room released on the PlayStation, Xbox, and PC in Europe
09/17/2004 – Resident Evil Outbreak released on the PlayStation 2 in Europe
09/18/1963 – The Haunting (1963) released theatrically
09/18/1998 – The Dentist 2: Brace Yourself released theatrically
09/20/1940 – The Mummy’s Hand released theatrically
09/20/1975 – Asia Argento (actress in many horror films, daughter of Dario Argento and Daria Nicolodi) born
09/21/1947 – Stephen King born
09/21/1984 – The Company of Wolves released theatrically in the UK
September 22 - 28
09/22/1986 – Castlevania released for the Nintendo Entertainment System
09/22/1995 – Se7en released theatrically
09/22/1999 – Resident Evil 3: Nemesis released for the PlayStation in Japan
09/23/1988 – Dead Ringers released theatrically
09/24/2001 – Silent Hill 2 released on the PlayStation, Xbox, and PC in the US
09/24/2002 – Vampires: Los Muertos released on video in the US
09/24/2004 – Shaun of the Dead released theatrically in the US
09/25/1959 – The Mummy (1959) released theatrically
09/25/1994 – Alone in the Dark 2 released on PC
09/25/1998 – Urban Legend released theatrically
09/26/1962 – Carnival of Souls released theatrically
09/26/1970 – Sheri Moon (actress in House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects, Toolbox Murders) born
09/27/1985 – The New Twilight Zone premiered on television
09/27/2001 – Silent Hill 2 released on the PlayStation, Xbox, and PC in Japan
09/28/1987 – Friday the 13th: The Series premiered on television
09/28/2007 – Moonlight premiered on television
09/29/1955 – The Night of the Hunter released theatrically
09/29/1995 – Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers released theatrically
September 30
09/30/1984 – Tales from the Darkside premiered on television
09/30/1988 – Elvira, Mistress of the Dark released theatrically
09/30/2005 – Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow released on the Nintendo DS in the European Union
24
Mar
2016
Doug Bradley Talks Hellraiser: Judgment
Doug Bradley Explains It All For You
By Woofer McWooferson
As almost every Hellraiser fan knows, the esteemed Mr. Doug Bradley will not be in the tenth Hellraiser film. This has been a deep disappointment to fans of the series as well as fans of all of Bradley's work. Earlier this year, he posted a Facebook status indicating his reasons for not appearing in the film, and those reasons were quite disturbing for it shows how little respect the filmmaker had for the man whose portrayal of Pinhead became synonymous with Hellraiser films. In a recent interview, Bradley elaborated on what he wrote in February.
Regarding the nondisclosure agreement:
I’ve been part of the Hellraiser franchise thirty years, this year. I’ve been in possession of, to my certain knowledge ten Hellraiser scripts because there was at least one Hellraiser script I had which didn’t get filmed. I hope I’m not being egotistical if I say that I’ve been an important part of the franchise and an important part of the reason why there’s a Hellraiser ten being made at all. So I didn’t understand why I had suddenly become a security risk that I had to sign a nondisclosure agreement. I don’t disclose. I was approached about Revelations and I’ve gone on record as saying I was very reluctant to consider it because I didn’t like the reasons why the movie was being made. It was being made, as we know now, entirely for political reasons because Dimension were about to lose the rights to both the Hellraiser franchise and the Children of the Corn franchise. That’s why the movie was being made, not because they wanted to reinvest, reinvigorate or kick-start the franchise. But I said ‘Let me see the script.’ I read Gary’s script for Revelations and I didn’t think it was good, so I turned it down. I never said a word about it, never said a word about Revelations, disclosed nothing.
And:
It was Through The Looking Glass stuff, it was telling me that I could not talk about this movie or the screen play in restrooms, in restaurants, in elevators, or in cellular telephone conversations which may be overheard. It also made me liable for a million dollars if I was deemed to have in any way harmed the investment of the producers in the project.
His perception of the movie itself, which Tunnicliffe purports to have always been a Hellraiser movie, echoes my own opinion of the film:
It’s a slightly puzzling situation, as well, Gary has told me and the FANGORIA readers that this is one hundred percent an original screenplay. Now he’s saying that he wrote it as a Hellraiser film some years ago. I’m trying to fill in the blanks, but maybe that would be after Revelations, and nobody wanted to make it. Then it resurfaced in, I think 2013, as his Kickstarter movie called Judgment, which he told us was ‘a horror movie like no other’. I saw the teaser trailer, and it had this guy with a very deep voice with scars across his head, diagonally it has to be said, but scars and a deep voice playing a toy music box which sort of reminded me of another horror movie we’re all very familiar with. But Gary said it was a horror movie like no other, so I must be mistaken.
Anyway, that Kickstarter campaign failed and now here we are with that movie, that was a Hellraiser movie, then was not a Hellraiser movie, and now suddenly is a Hellraiser movie again. (Tunnicliffe’s) also promised us that it’s going to contain some of ‘the most powerful and thought-provoking sequences ever seen in a horror film’, which is some claim. So I’m looking forward to seeing it.
Regarding other scripts that were edited to be Hellraiser films:
Inferno, Hellseeker and Deader are the next three movies in the series, and they were all preexisting movies that were tweaked to become Hellraiser movies. That’s lazy. It doesn’t speak to me of great respect for the franchise.
Hellraiser: Inferno
Hellraiser: Hellseeker
Hellraiser: Deader
Will he ever play Pinhead again?
Never say never. I’ve turned down one script because I didn’t think it was good enough and I didn’t like the reasons why the movie was being made or the way the movie was being made.
And:
I’m not losing sleep over not playing Pinhead – it’s more than thirteen years now since I played him last, but I’m not closing the door on anything, either.
You can read the full interview at iHorror.
So keep the faith, fellow Hellraiser fans. We may not have seen the last of Doug Bradley.
Doug Bradley; image source: Horrorfan666 (Photobucket)
18
Feb
2016
A WORD FROM PINHEAD HIMSELF : DOUG BRADLEY
By John Roisland
As per the ongoing discussion of the Hellraiser saga, Doug Bradley, best known as Pinhead to the world, posted this yesterday to the public on Facebook, February 17, 2016 . Here's what he had to say:
"Ladies, Gentlemen and Others,
I gather word is beginning to spread about the new Hellraiser movie which is, apparently, already shooting.
First, a point of clarification. This is the first time I have said anything about this. Anything else you have heard me say about any proposed Hellraiser film refers to the constantly rumored remake. And, for the record, I still know nothing about that.
First I heard about this new film was around Christmas in a phone call from Gary Tunnicliffe, who was my make-up artist on Bloodline through Hellworld. Gary, you may recall, also wrote the screenplay for Revelations. He has written and is directing this new effort. I can also assert, contrary to some rumours I've already seen, that Clive Barker is not involved with this in any way, shape or form.
Gary said he would send me a copy of the script when he had completed a second draft, but before I could be allowed to set eyes on the precious document, I was required to sign a gagging order. This was a three page document preventing me from talking about the script 'in restrooms', 'on elevators', 'in restaurants' or 'in cellular telephone conversations which may be overheard'. There was also dark reference to 'people talking out of turn at conventions'. I read this thing in disbelief, and informed Gary I would not be signing it.
And that's that. Clearly, I am deemed too much of a security risk to be allowed to read a Hellraiser script. People are starving to death in Syria and they're worried about me talking about a Hellraiser movie? Get a fucking grip. Can you say 'sense of proportion'?
Anyway, story short: a new movie is happening and I have nothing do with it. I was unable to make a decision about it because I was not allowed to read the script, unlike Revelations where I made a conscious decision not to do the movie based on the motives for making it and the poor quality of the script.
And that's everything."
Peace and Pain
Doug
This is what Doug posted openly yesterday, and personally speaking , I support him 100% , and most certainly don't have much hope for the series without him.
Keep It Evil.
18
Feb
2016
New Hellraiser Movie, But No Doug Bradley
By Dixielord
News has been hitting social media and the internet about a new Hellraiser movie. It appears the film is already in production. It also appears that scream queen Heather Langenkamp, aka Nancy, is attached in a cameo role. The news that Heather will be appearing in the movie obviously got fans a bit excited. But it seems the Hellraiser franchise giveth good news, and the Hellraiser franchise taketh it away.
The one and only Pinhead, Doug Bradley. Accept no substitute
No sooner than the good news about Langenkamp hits the news, than rumors that Doug Bradley, once again,wont be cast as Pinhead. The rumors have been now been confirmed by Bradley himself on his verified Facebook page. Bradley originated the role in the original Hellraiser, and reprises the role in seven sequels before being replaced in the abomination Hellraiser:Revelations.
The new film, which so far as I know doesn't have a working title is being directed by Gary Tunnicliffe. Tunnicliffe is definitely no stranger to the Hellraiser series, having done Doug's make up in three of the previous films. Unfortunately he also wrote the script for Revelations. In the past I have laid most of the blame for the still birth that is Revelations on director Victor Garcia, and the studios, who rushed a shitty film out just to maintain the rights to the name Hellraiser, but the story was crap, and the writer has to take the blame for that.
To paraphrase Doug from his facebook, he turned down Revelations because it was a poor script and it was being rushed into production for the “wrong reasons”. With this new film, according to Bradley, he was not allowed to see the script without signing a gag order before hand. A gag order that would have prevented him from talking about the script anywhere he could be overheard, including fan conventions.
Dis muh scway face, doooh. Hellraiser: Revelations
Maybe it's just me, but if you are that worried about someone knowing about your script, it must be a pretty weal script. Maybe there are other reason, but a good story, talked about at conventions, in my mind would only stoke interest in the film.
Along with word, that everyone's favorite cenobite wont be returning to the role he helped create, Bradley also says Clive Barker will in no way be associated with the new film. So any rumors of a Hellraiser reunion with Barker and Bradley are, for now at least, just that, rumors.
The cenobite family from Hellraiser
My personal two cents. If you are making a Hellraiser with Pinhead, you need Doug Bradley. Sorry but he means to much to fans of the series. Now if you want to make a Hellraiser film and Doug isn't interested, or can't commit to the part, just don’t use the Pinhead character. No offense to Heather Langenkamp, who is an awesome person, but I wont be rushing to see this new movie. Just too many negatives. No Barker, no Bradley, and too much of the creative force behind Revelations. Seriously, I had rather watch Uwe Boll pick his nose while screaming anti Semitic remarks for two hours than watch Revelations again.
You really want to excite Hellraiser fans? Give us The Scarlet Gospels with Doug Bradley as Hellraiser and Scot Bakula as Harry D'Amour! At least this Hellraiser fan gets wet thinking about that.
The Scarlet Gospels, end of Pinhead from Hellraiser
24
Oct
2015
HALLOWEEN HORRORS: Hellraiser (1987)
By Machete Von Kill
Director: Clive Barker; Writer: Clive Barker (adapted from The Hellbound Heart) Stars: Doug Bradley, Ashley Laurence, Clare Higgins; Rating: R; Run Time: 94 min; Genre: Horror; Country: USA; Language: English; Year: 1987
Sexual deviant Frank (Sean Chapman) inadvertently opens a portal to hell when he tinkers with a box he bought while abroad. The act unleashes gruesome beings called Cenobites, who tear Frank's body apart. When Frank's brother Larry (Andrew Robinson) and his wife, Julia (Clare Higgins), move into Frank's old house, they accidentally bring what is left of Frank back to life. Frank then convinces Julia, his one-time lover, to lure men back to the house so he can use their blood to reconstruct himself. (Summary from IMDb.)
I honestly don't remember how old I was the first time I saw Hellraiser. It was some time in middle school. And I've seen it eleventy billion times since. It is one of my favorite movies of all time, and I don't mean just horror movies either. I can probably recite almost every line from the movie and had Pinhead as a notification alert on my cellphone (I can't lie. After several texts from a close friend, I had to change it. LOL! Pinhead was starting to creep me out!)
I have to say, seeing Doug Bradley's name on the guest list for Motor City Nightmares last year was one of the biggest reasons I wanted to go. I was heartbroken when it became clear I couldn't afford tickets. Thanks to Dark Legacy Haunted House, I WON A GOLD PASS and was able to meet PINHEAD himself. I will full on admit, I was extremely nervous about meeting Mr. Bradley. I was a complete mess. Nervous stutter when I could speak, dry mouth and shaking like a leaf. Mr. Bradley put up with me (LOL) and was nice enough to take photos with me, autograph my DVD, and accepted my gift to him, a hand painted Pinhead Christmas ornament. I could go on and on about Doug Bradley, but that's not why we're here. Let's get back to the movie.
The scene when Frank begins to regenerate after absorbing his brother's blood through the floor boards is both totally gross and totally captivating. You can't turn away, even though you want to. And the subsequent scenes of Frank consuming the blood of the men Julia brings to the house are just as gross and captivating. The sounds effects alone are gag worthy.
I can't say I have any sympathy for Frank or Julia. Frank was a sick, mean, creepy bastard when he was alive and Julia, a cheating tramp. Who sleeps with their newly wedded husband's brother!? Ick! Dirty ho! They totally deserved each other and all of the tortures dished out by the Cenobites. It seems so fitting that Frank ended up consuming Julia.
And the Cenobites themselves, HOLY WAH! As if Pinhead wasn't terrifying enough, throw in Chatterer (Nicholas Vince), Butterball (Simon Bamford), and the female Cenobite (Grace Kirby)... Nightmare material for days! Deliciously evil and brilliant. Bravo to Clive Barker for bringing these henchmen of Hell to life.
The movie is dark, beautiful, gory and everything a good horror movie should be. Even with the 1987 special effects, it still stands up today as one of the greatest ever made. And I'm really unhappy to hear that it will be rebooted. It is a classic that needs to be left alone. Sure, make another sequel (just please, please, please do a better job than the last few), but there's no reason to reboot.
If you haven't yet seen this masterpiece, I'd really like to know what the hell you are waiting for.
10 out of 10 Cenobites Tortures
